Safety
by Nina Vale
Summary: and this time he didn't dream of darkness and fear, but instead of open spaces and smell of the sea. Qrowin Week 2018. Day 3: Safety referenced/mentioned past child abuse.


I do not own RWBY. If I had this wouldn't be here...

* * *

Qrow was trekking through the thick forest in Anima. It was night and it was really dark, especially since the moon was obscured by dark clouds, but it wasn't raining. In fact, it was rather hot and the air was stale. Qrow could hardly breathe. Why did Raven choose this forest of all places on the entire planet to meet with him? Why couldn't she just tell him the name of an inn or village or even come by and visit him on her own? It was much easier for her, with her damn portals. She had a portal for him after all. But no, his sister had to ask him to come and see her in some ruined little house in the middle of the woods. Speaking of which, where was this place anyway? Raven had told him it was five or ten minutes off the path, but it seemed like he was walking for hours now, and the forest instead of clearing to show him a meadow was becoming darker and denser. He felt a little touch of fear. Maybe he'd gotten lost? Or took a wrong turn?

He took out the map. No, he was walking the right direction. He sighed and pressed on. And he walked, and walked and walked, and again it became darker and darker and the trees were closer and closer together, at times forcing him to suck in breath-and he was a skinny man after all- to squeeze through. The feeling of dread and loneliness grew inside of him and he reached for his flask. Not even to take a drink from it, but to ground himself in reality, but the touch of cool metal brought him no comfort. The forest seemed to have no end. He stopped. It had no sense. He decided to go back to the inn. Let Raven find him this time in a normal place.

He turned around but found himself at the loss where to go. Everywhere looked the same and the trees were now so close together and it was so dark he couldn't make out any path. He didn't even know if it was another tree, one big tree or just dark void between them. He ignored the growing insecurity and begun walking again. He had to get somewhere, right? This forest wasn't endless. It was more of a grove really. He should be able to find his way back to the road and go back to the village. Oh, how mistaken he was. No matter where he turned or how long he walked he never seemed to move past this part of the forest. It was like he was stuck in this one place and walking in circles. He was feeling really scared now...he took the map out again, but couldn't make out much in the darkness. He took out his scroll but it was dead. But he refused to give up. He'd lost the track of time completely now. Suddenly he heard a faint knocking echoing in the forest, and a familiar voice calling his name. He didn't know if it was a hallucination or not, but he had nothing to lose at this point, so he began walking in the direction of the voice, it was getting louder but he could never reach it and now it seemed to be coming from everywhere. He stopped shutting his eyes and put his hands over his ears...

* * *

Qrow's eyes shot open as he sat up. He was panting heavily. For a moment he didn't know where he was. Did he pass out in that damned forest? But no...it didn't feel like a forest. The ground beneath him was too soft and it was too warm. He blinked a couple of times and looked around. In the darkness of the night, he could make a large space and the light wallpaper on the walls. And there was a window, before him, with heavy raindrops falling down the glass. The consciousness slowly returned to him. He wasn't in a forest, he was in a hotel room in Atlas. Then he heard the knocking again. He turned towards the door.

"Qrow?" it was Winter "Qrow?"

He looked at the clock. It was past two am. If Winter woke him up this late it had to be important. He sighed, running his hand down his face and got out of the bed to open the door. Winter, was standing on the other side in her blue pyjamas, holding her arm. He noticed she looked tired and rather timid.

"Winter, what's happened?" he asked. She sighed and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, but...can I come in?" she asked. He nodded. It wasn't like he was going back to sleep anyway. He stepped back, letting her inside and closed the door behind her. For a while, Winter just stood there, in the middle of the room looking at everything but him.

"Winter, what happened?" he repeated his previous question "what's wrong?"

She bit her lip again, and he could swear her cheeks heated up.

"I...can I sleep in here?" she asked, "with you?"

Whatever he was expecting her to say, that sure wasn't it.

"Sorry?" he asked

"Can I sleep with you?" repeated Winter "please...I know it's strange and probably embarrassing but I had a rough night and I really don't want to be alone..."

"Sure," he said. It wasn't like it was the first time. Tough previously it was just accidents. Like that day she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder while watching a movie. Still, it wouldn't be that different, right? And again, they were close and he found that despite his growing feelings for her he didn't mind or felt embarrassed by the thought of them sharing a bed, in completely non-sexual manner. And the bed here was big enough for two people to sleep in comfortably.

Winter muttered a weak thank you and got into the bed. He waited for a bit, before joining her on the other side. They spend a couple of seconds in silence.

"It's always the same, you know," said Winter "I'm locked in a small room in the attic, clawing at the doors and screaming at my father to let me out, that I won't do whatever I had done again, but he just walks away and leaves me there"

"I'm sorry," he said. And he really was. Ever since he had come onto her father trying to beat her up with a marble Beowulf bust and he'd learned about what was really going on behind those fancy walls of Schnee Manor, he felt bad for her and furious at her family. He'd even invited her to visit Patch. In fact, that incident when she fell asleep on his arm? It was after one of her father's fancy balls. She'd come with a bruised neck back then...

"now, as I've said previously I'd be fine. Relatively" she continued "but I just...I hadn't had that dream in a while now. Not since I've been coming to Patch, and we've gotten closer. That's why I came to you, you make me feel safe."

Qrow felt his heart rate pick up and he was sure his cheeks were burning. It was strange. She could mention sharing a bed, and he would take it in his stride, but the moment she mentioned something like feeling safe or comfortable around him and he behaved like a bashful teenager in front of his first crush, and it didn't matter how many times she'd implied it or even said it out loud. Maybe it was because you could share a bed with complete strangers, heck even have casual sex with them but to make someone feel safe, took time and trust. And people like him and Winter didn't trust easily.

"Well...I'm glad I was able to help you there," he said "you deserve to have a full night's sleep with how hard Jimmy's driving you"

Even though she had her back to him, he could tell she'd rolled her eyes.

"But I really mean it," she said, turning around "I've never felt this safe with anyone before"

"Again, glad I make you safe" he replied. Winter smiled and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she fell asleep. She must have been really tried. Then again, she worked for Jimmy and she was ambitious as hell. She would never put down unfinished work. Qrow was sure she had fallen asleep over a report or other paperwork. The woman in question let out a breath, and rolled around, ending up closer to him, with her hands against his chests. He sighed a little and reached behind her, stroking her hair. She let out a content sound and cuddled to him. He continued to stroke her hair for another couple of minutes, and the soft sound of her breath and the drumming of the raindrops outside, as well as the repeated motions of his hands, caused his own eyes to feel heavy. His movements slowed down and soon enough he was in the dreamland again. Only this time instead of dark, stuffy forests he dreamed of coastline cliffs, refreshing winds and murmur of the sea waves.

* * *

ok, here it is. Safety. I didn't know how to approach it, whenever to have Qrow just having a bad dream or day and have Winter hug it out with him, or have Winter tell him she feels safe and have family drama. I decided to mash it up, together and have a fic where they both end up making each other feel safe again. This fic is a part of my Tumblr post series, that can be found on my blog under "my fic" tag. Two of them are prompts "Are you drunk?" and "I didn't mean to kiss you". The third one should appear at the beginning of the tag.

But it also can be read as stand alone.

Happy Qrowin Week!


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